Press Play With Madeleine Brand

Critics review the latest film releases: “Back to Black,” “IF,” “Gasoline Rainbow,” and “Babes.” Google will start putting AI-generated answers at the top of search results. Content creators and media outlets say this will cost them clicks. A military historian and retired Army colonel discusses Benjamin Netanyahu’s strategy against Hamas, and what the war in Gaza means for Israeli politics domestically and globally.  How are various sugars made, and what textures and flavors do they add to baked goods and other dishes? Evan Kleiman walks you through her library of sugars.

Billions in the UC system’s portfolio are tied to holdings targeted by pro-Palestinian protests. Plus, did CHP officers break California law during its UCLA encampment sweep? Cartels in Mexico have created one of the deadliest election years in the country’s history. What will this mean for voters heading to the polls next month? The 401(k) has increased the wealth of millions while exacerbating income inequality among older Americans. What can be done to close that gap? Growing up in mostly white, small towns in Ohio, Jamie Figueroa felt cut off from her Puerto Rican heritage. She chronicles her journey to connect with her Boricua roots in a new book.

Decades of erosion and climate change constantly shut down Highway 1 through Big Sur. The damage is worsening as more intense storms hit the coast. President Biden today announced higher tariffs on Chinese goods, saying the aim is to protect the U.S. economy from overseas competitors. Trump has taken aim at U.S.-China trade policy as well.  The New York Times spoke to dozens of people who reported COVID side effects, ranging from shingles to brain damage, as part of a year-long probe. Despite reports to the CDC, concerns have gone unanswered. Comedian Richard Gadd says “Baby Reindeer” is a true story of his stalker. That woman says Gadd exaggerated greatly and is threatening to sue.

LA Philharmonic Music and Artistic Director Gustavo Dudamel talks about conducting Beethoven's only opera, plus his choice to start leading the New York Philharmonic in 2026. The New York Times/Siena College polls show Biden losing to Trump in Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, Arizona and Georgia. Biden has lost support with key Democratic demographics.   The state of California tried to stop a lawsuit relating to a fatal COVID-19 outbreak at San Quentin prison. Today, the Supreme Court allowed it to go forward. Roger Corman, who died last Thursday, helped launch the careers of directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, Ron Howard, and James Cameron.

Andrea Nguyen, Clarissa Wei, and Hetty Lui McKinnon have all been nominated for a James Beard Award. Try their cookbook recipes during this AAPI Month. The new book “White Rural Rage” explores anger in the heartland and the threat it poses to American democracy.  Critics review the latest film releases: “The Poolman,” “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes,” “Last Stop in Yuma County,” and “Power.”  Though he hated being called a “producer,” Steve Albini was behind albums by The Pixies and Nirvana. He helped create a D-I-Y, analog sound in rock music that influenced others. 

In “Help Wanted,” part-time employees of a big-box retail store in New York are barely making a living. Author Adelle Waldman’s own job experiences inspired the novel.  Ryan Crocker, a former U.S. ambassador to Middle Eastern countries, says Israel should heed the message behind the Biden administration’s withholding of bombs. Hollywood’s summer box office season is here. So far, it pales in comparison to last year’s $4 billion bonanza brought in by  “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer.”  Actor Chris Pratt razed an architecturally significant house. Another wealthy homeowner wants to demolish Marilyn Monroe’s former home. What are LA’s historic preservation rules?

Lookout Santa Cruz has earned the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. The winning coverage was about the flooding and mudslides along the Central Coast last January. Once viewed as a progressive movement for a Jewish state, Zionism has taken on a settler colonialist connotation for many pro-Palestinian protestors.  One reason for sky-high veterinary bills? Private equity funds and big corporations have been gobbling up small, independent vets. Maya Rudolph spent eight seasons on “Saturday Night Live” doing impressions. In her latest show, she’s a billionaire determined to donate her fortune.

Joan Baez talks about her poetry, memories of abuse, living with dissociative identity disorder, and abstaining from the Gaza protests on college campuses.  After violence broke out between pro-Palestinian activists and counter-protestors at UCLA, campus officials are launching its new Office of Campus Safety.  Student protesters are demanding universities divest from Israel. But in California, divestment may not be legally achievable because of a little-known civil rights law.  Six months after the Hollywood strikes, film and TV productions are still down. Now IATSE is at the table with the AMPTP. Could a strike be on the horizon? 

Critics review the latest film releases: “The Fall Guy,” “I Saw the TV Glow,” “Evil Does Not Exist,” and “Mars Express.” Police arrested more than 130 people at UCLA after law enforcement dispersed protesters and dismantled a pro-Palestinian encampment. The demonstrations have taken attention away from the actual war in Gaza.  Arizona's Republican-led legislature repealed the state's Civil War-era abortion ban, reverting to a 15-week limit. Meanwhile, Florida enforces a six-week ban. Shows that have all the trappings of prestige TV — the cinematic look, the big names — are everywhere on streaming services. But one critic says they’re all average.

Strawberries are easy to transform into a dish that’s like a gift. To kick them up a notch, marinate them with a drizzle of flavorful balsamic vinegar. After violence between pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian sides broke out at UCLA overnight, two Dartmouth lecturers with differing views on the war offer a model for cooperation. The Department of Justice proposed making cannabis a Schedule 3 drug, acknowledging after decades of illicit use that it has medical value and a lower risk for abuse. It’s currently Schedule 1, along with heroin. The daughter of late film critic Gene Siskel is out with a new poetry book, “Two Minds,” about grief and the sudden death of her father when she was 12 years old.

Trader Joe’s works with global suppliers to make eclectic products, but some small food producers say the company rips them off, reports Adam Reiner, founder of Restaurant Manifesto.  Campus protestors nationwide are demanding universities divest of financial ties to Israel. Is that possible in today's complex, global economy?  The NLRB has accused Trader Joe’s, Starbucks, Amazon, and SpaceX of harassing and intimidating workers. The companies are challenging the power of the board to protect workers’ jobs.  Author and USC professor Viet Thanh Nguyen won a Pulitzer Prize for his 2015 novel “The Sympathizer.” It’s been adapted into a new limited series from HBO. After the Denver Nuggets eliminated the Lakers from the NBA playoffs on Monday night, Lebron James refused to say whether or not he’ll be wearing purple and gold next season.

USC journalism professor Sandy Tolan talks about what he witnessed when visiting Gaza protest encampments on campus. He also responds to the commencement cancellation.  Despite tense moments between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel demonstrators at UCLA over the weekend, school administrators and police mostly stayed out of it. Hundreds of demonstrators have been arrested nationwide amid protests on college campuses. Law professor Jessica Levinson explains the free speech issues and how these schools have responded. Brian Eno pioneered “ambient music” and helped create the sounds of U2, David Bowie, and other rock stars. Multiple versions of a new documentary show his life and work.

Critics review the latest film releases: “Challengers,” “Uncropped,” “Egoist,” and “Alien” (re-release).  The Supreme Court justices grant that presidents have some immunity when it comes to prosecution, but differ in how much and when it applies. A New York appeals court has overturned the rape conviction against Harvey Weinstein, saying a judge mistakenly allowed women who were not part of the charges to testify that the former Hollywood producer abused them. More than a dozen horses died during the 2023 racing season at events like the Kentucky Derby and the Belmont Stakes. A new documentary looks at what’s behind the crisis.

Fava beans are one of the most ancient plants and among the easiest to grow. They’re key in Mediterranean and Middle East food cultures.  Biden’s new legislation is forcing TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the social giant to a U.S. company. TikTok plans to challenge this in court. Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author David Sanger’s new book chronicles America’s plunge into simultaneous confrontations with two very different adversaries — China and Russia.

LACMA has signed on as a partner in the development of Las Vegas’ only standalone art museum. Pieces from LACMA will be on rotating loan in Vegas once the museum is complete.  Protests over the war in Gaza have engulfed college campuses across the country. Faith leaders offer guidance in these contentious times. Tesla sales are slumping. Its trucks have been recalled to fix a safety issue. And Elon Musk seems to be alienating potential buyers with his remarks on social media.  In PBS’ “Art Happens Here,” actor John Lithgow goes back to high school to explore the power of arts education — dance, ceramics, silk-screen printing, and vocal jazz ensemble. 

Erick Elliott’s (a.k.a. Erick the Architect) first solo album, “I’ve Never Been Here Before,” features big-name collaborators like James Blake and George Clinton.  The Supreme Court appeared divided after oral arguments over a Grants Pass, an Oregon law that bans camping in public areas. Lower courts say it amounts to “cruel and unusual punishment.” Private companies are buying farmland in rural Arizona. The goal isn’t to farm crops but to access water from the Colorado River. In Las Vegas today, construction began on a train that would get travelers from Rancho Cucamonga in San Bernardino County to the Las Vegas strip in about two hours. 

Charoset is a melange of dried and/or fresh fruits plus nuts — all chopped or ground to a paste. It’s typically prepared for seders or Passover ritual dinners. Two Boeing whistleblowers testified about their safety concerns in a Congressional hearing this week. KCRW looks at how the company became mired in safety issues.  The World Health Organization is warning of the dangers of bird flu, should it jump from animals to humans. Last month, a second person in the U.S. contracted the disease. Critics review the latest film releases: “Abigail,” “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” “We Grown Now,” and “The People's Joker.”

The Monterey Bay Aquarium has been fostering abandoned sea otter pups for release into the wild. Now the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach is joining the effort, rehabbing its first orphaned baby.    After months of pressure, House Speaker Mike Johnson has called a series of votes on foreign aid packages. Hard-right Republicans threaten to oust him if he follows through.  After an unsuccessful attack on Israel, Iran faces more sanctions from the West and more retaliation from Israel. How do ordinary Iranians feel about this conflict? The Federal Bureau of Prisons announced this week that it will close the women’s prison in Dublin, California — where prison staff have reportedly assaulted inmates. The fourth season of the award-winning “Serial” podcast tells the stories of Guantánamo Bay, from the prisoners and the people who worked there. Host Sarah Koenig shares what she uncovered. 

Hilton Carter, a.k.a. The Plant Doctor, is out with “The Propagation Handbook.” He shares his tips on how to propagate plants such as pothos, ficus, succulents, and more. USC has barred valedictorian Asna Tabassum from speaking at commencement next month. The school’s reasoning: safety concerns after groups criticized her pro-Palestinean views.  Leading the GOP coup against House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and a sex scandal have defined Matt Gaetz’s tenure in Congress. Yet the Florida Republican maintains influence with his party’s standard-bearer, Donald Trump. ABC’s “Abbott Elementary” is a mockumentary that portrays the chaos within an inner-city school. Janelle James talks about playing the brash, self-centered principal. 

The southbound 101 freeway in Agoura Hills will be closed nightly for the next few weeks — as Caltrans continues building a massive wildlife bridge. Donald Trump is now the first U.S. president to stand trial in a criminal case over charges he falsified records to cover up a $130,000 payment to buy the silence of adult film star Stormy Daniels during the 2016 campaign. After Iran’s unsuccessful missile attack, how will Israel retaliate? Plus, how long can Ukraine stave off Russian attacks? The Wall Street Journal’s Yaroslav Trofimov weighs in. KCRW DJ Ro Wyldeflower Contreras recommends new songs from Chicano Batman, Reyna Tropical, Baby Rose, Brainstory, and Hiatus Kaiyote.